The present invention relates to a circuit arrangement and method for limiting current for consumers of alternating current.
A number of consumers, for instance assemblies, assembly units, modems, personal computers, printers, and monitors, and so on, are connected to an inverter at the output side. These consumers are mostly dimensioned for operation at a low-impedance network, the result of which is high inrush currents. A consumer's inrush current often amounts to a multiple of its nominal current. This high inrush current results in a voltage dip at the output of the inverter. In turn, a voltage dip gives rise to failures in the other consumers that are connected to the inverter. In order to avoid a high current flow through a consumer that is connected to an inverter, these often have current limiting devices that consist of a choke, which are arranged at the inverter at the output side.
The disclosure document German Patent Application No. 35 02 195 teaches a limiting circuit for alternating current. In this current limiting circuit, a variable resistance is connected to the terminals of a bridge rectifier circuit for the purpose of limiting the current. This variable resistance consists of a parallel circuit composed of a first series circuit, which is formed by two resistors, and a second series circuit, which is formed by the collector-emitter system of a transistor and an additional resistor. The transistor is controlled via the voltage splitter of the first series circuit and an additional transistor.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,396,882 teaches a circuit arrangement of an inrush current limiter.